


Come Home

by huntressed



Category: Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Angst, F/M, Military AU, Such angst, and artemis is left in college, in which jason goes to war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-05 06:44:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5365307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huntressed/pseuds/huntressed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were two pre-pubescent kids, both in middle school. The blonde girl was sitting beside a dark haired boy on the curb, both eating popsicles. It was out of the blue when the boy spoke and said that he wanted to protect people. The blonde girl was taken aback, but she nodded and agreed with him; saying that she wanted to protect people, too. That was when he told her that he wanted to be a soldier, she smiled and gave him a pat on the back. She told him that she would support him and that she is proud of him.</p><p>What she didn’t realize back then was the fact that he, being shipped off to war would make her sad one day. Because one day, he will walk out of her apartment with his camouflage bag and his camouflage uniform, and she will cry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fanfic that is heavily inspired by OneRepublic's Come Home. And coincidentally, the song was also written about the very same situation. About a soldier and his beloved. I didn't look up the inspiration of the song when I made it, I just wrote what I wanted to. Anyways, as you all can see, I'm trash for Jaytemis so yeah. I hope you enjoy x.

_Come home, come home_  
Cause I’ve been waiting for you  
for so long, for so long.  
And right now there’s a war   
between the vanities  
and all I see is you and me.   
And the fight for you   
is all I’ve ever known.   
So come home.

**_OneRepublic_ **

* * *

 

 

            The thing about being in love with someone who has dedicated so much of their life to the country is the fact that it’s hard. That the whole world seemed to stop spinning for her whenever he’s away on combat. They’re both twenty three, Artemis studying to be a lawyer and Jason is a soldier. Both dedicated on protecting innocent people from fates that they never deserved.

They were two pre-pubescent kids, both in middle school. The blonde girl was sitting beside a dark haired boy on the curb, both eating popsicles. It was out of the blue when the boy spoke and said that he wanted to protect people. The blonde girl was taken aback, but she nodded and agreed with him; saying that she wanted to protect people, too. That was when he told her that he wanted to be a soldier, she smiled and gave him a pat on the back. She told him that she would support him and that she is proud of him.

What she didn’t realize back then was the fact that he, being shipped off to war would make her sad one day. Because one day, he will walk out of her apartment with his camouflage bag and his camouflage uniform, and she will cry.

They were seniors in high school when Jason told her that he’s going to sign up for the army right after they graduate. She was already in love with him by then, but then he had always been so oblivious about his surroundings that he doesn’t even notice the pained look she gives him when he said those words. But she understood, she understood because it’s what he wanted to do, and she will never hold him back. She loves him that much.

And three years later, when they’re both twenty two and he’s about to get on the military truck, Artemis ran towards him. Her feet swiftly moving against the hard and hot concrete because they picked him up just outside her apartment, and she couldn’t let him go away without knowing how much she loves him. The air is blowing her blonde hair and her breathing is fast, faster than the movement of her slim legs.

When she finally reached him, her arms latched around his neck like a magnet to a metal. She’s the metal, he’s the magnet. And she will never, never let herself separate away from him. She was crying on his shoulders, tears carrying the sadness of a million people who don’t want to be abandoned. Her tears are filled with so much sadness and she doesn’t know how much more she could take.

A few seconds later and she was kissing him, her body pressed against his and she could feel him tense the moment she placed her lips on his. But then he softened, and his arms moved around her waist and she smiled. Her world lit up brighter than the light of a thousand suns when his lips moved against hers. And there was nothing, _nothing,_ that could ever compare to the way he made her heart beat, the way he made her smile, and the way he made her feel.

He pulled away from her and there were cheers from his comrades. More tears came out of her eyes as he rested his forehead against hers. Artemis could feel the weight of the world fall on her shoulders as she looked at his sad eyes, almost brimmed with tears.

“I’ll be back for you. I promise you that, Artemis.” He told her.

“Keep your promise, please.” She whispered, in fact, it was more of a plea than anything else. She wasn’t ready for him to go, yet. She wasn’t ready for him to leave her and fight in some place that’s completely foreign to the both of them.

He kissed her one more time before he finally departed. She watched with shaking hands as the truck drove away from the peaceful street. So this is how it begins, this is how the painful waiting would start to commence. And she’s just hoping that she would be sane after all of this.

Artemis spent every day trying to hold on to that promise that he gave her. She couldn’t contact him, apparently the place was secluded, no means of communication could reach him and that was enough to drive Artemis Crock to the brink of desperation.

She wished that she could be as courageous as him. Risking his life just so others could be safe; she couldn’t do that. She wasn’t brave enough to bring herself to such a huge decision like that. She couldn’t face the battlefield without wanting to break down and wish to be in Jason’s arms once more.

Everything she couldn’t be, is everything he should be. And that’s why she needs him there with her.

While he’s gone, Artemis kept herself busy. Exploring California out on her own, meeting up with their friends from high school and interacting with different people from campus. She met Zatanna, a girl who’s heavily intelligent in the study of occult and metaphysics. She met Wally, a flirtatious boy who can cite different physics formulas without even stopping to take a breath. And there was Roy Harper, one of Jason’s friends from high school.

She hung out with them almost every day, hoping that it would take her mind off Jason. But at the end of the day, as she tugs the comforter to her shoulder, thoughts of Jason would make its way to her brain. And there goes the waterworks. The next morning, she would wake up and then she would go back to craving the loud voice of Jason who rarely even goes home when he’s present.

There’s nothing in this world that could separate her thoughts from Jason. And honestly, all the longing and waiting is leaving her worn out. Every morning she would drink her coffee and then she would remember how much Jason preferred tea better than the bitter think. By then, she would result to throwing her coffee down the sink and making herself some tea instead. Because it gives her a sense of Jason, _it gives her a sense of home._

Because this place, this apartment, it’s almost nothing without the laughter and the complaints of Jason. She doesn’t know where they are standing, because before their kiss and his departure, he’s her best friend. Her best friend who’s always around and annoys her to no end all day. That’s him.

His absence is daunting. Sometimes, she doesn’t know what to think about when it comes to Jason. She didn’t want to put herself in so much more pain by thinking that he wouldn’t come back, but she also didn’t want to give herself too much hope.

It’s hard. It’s hard with him away, _in a war_ that she will never ever witness (she doesn’t want to witness it because it _will hurt_. So she settles for her silent pain). She almost forgot how to live without him, and she almost forgot how to breathe freely. Because every moment is spent with _worry_ and _panic._

 _He will come back._ She repeated it like a mantra inside her head, because she has to hold on to something right? And she’d be better off holding on to his words, rather than the sharp blade of her thoughts, waiting to tear her down to the core and slash her hopes.

Zatanna was over the next day, both of them watching reruns of NCIS. Then later came Wally, and then Roy. They were lounging in her couch, and it was a full house. But it didn’t feel like home. There was this emptiness inside of her that can never be filled by Zatanna’s soft voice, Wally’s loud and obnoxious laughter, or Roy’s heavy sarcasm.

She understood now why she wasn’t supposed to make homes out of people. But isn’t it too late for her? Longing and emptiness had already filled her up inside. And she couldn’t think straight anymore, all because the love of her life was out there, fighting the people who couldn’t bring responsibility upon themselves to follow the godforsaken law.

When her exams rolled in, thoughts of Jason are safely tucked away in the corners of her mind as she highlighted through every paragraph. Highlighted every single phrase that could give her an A on the next test. And she’s so hell-bent on getting a good grade that she almost didn’t hear the moderately loud knock on her door. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and scratching the back of her head (she didn’t even care if it ruined the appearance of her hair tied into a bun, she was a mess), she walked towards the front door.

“Who the hell would want to disturb me at this hour? I swear I will kill the person who appears in my front door. Disturbing me is so disrespectful I am so don— Oh my god.” Her eyes widened as soon as she opened the door, there she found Jason Todd still dressed in his camouflage uniform, carrying his camouflage duffel bag.

“Should I come back another time? Looks like I disturbed you.” He responded with that boyish smile of his that she had grown to love.

Artemis couldn’t help it, she was laughing and crying at the same time. She threw her arms around him, her head resting on her shoulders, the warmth he radiated gave her a sense of familiarity. The way he still reeks of his aftershave and his stupid cologne. The way he placed his arms around her, _she missed it all._ And now he’s here, there’s no more waiting.

Although there will be more wars to come and she’s unaware if he’s going to return to her safely, she will relish this moment and spend every single time of hers with him. She will hold on to him as long as she can because she doesn’t know when the gunfire will take him, or when the bomb explosion will blow him. She doesn’t want to think of it.

He was the one who kissed her this time, he was able to step further inside _their home_ and he closed the door behind him. He turned her around and she was smiling as she stood on her tip toes just to reach him.

“You need more height, you gremlin.” He laughed, connecting both their foreheads as he stared at her in the dim light of her living room.

“And you’re too tall, _lamppost.”_ She retorted before bringing her lips back to his.

Her examinations were long forgotten as they lay in the confines of her bedroom, bodies pressed against each other, whispers exchanged in the complete darkness, the sound of their hearts beating are thumping in their ears. Artemis had never felt happiness like this before, it was peaceful and comforting.

_Finally, they’re both at home._


End file.
